


Ease Into It

by merulanoir



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 07:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15792273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merulanoir/pseuds/merulanoir
Summary: Geralt gets hurt on a contract, again.Regis is there to patch him up, as always.





	Ease Into It

**Author's Note:**

> Just some angsty and absolutely pointless fluff that will probably rot your teeth. I wrote this because I needed something happycute before delving back into the sequel stuff. So, yeah.

Geralt slipped off his armor and let it thud to the foyer floor. His swords were taken care of and leaning against the dresser. He was tired and hurting. The wounds on his elbow and chest were still bleeding, probably because of the poison.

The contract had been an easy one, at first. Find the gravehag near Francollarts. Kill the gravehag. Go collect the gold, return home. That had been two days ago.

The gravehag, as it turned out, had been cohabiting the grotto with a hideous amount of scurvers. There had also been some alghouls, courtesy of the stench that had seeped into every part of Geralt's armor. And when he had been done and extremely ready to go home, the centipedes had dug out of the damp earth.

All in all, it had gone from horrible to _'nope, forget it'_ in the span of a few hours, and then it had kept on going until Geralt had stumbled out of a cavern (how the hell had he even ended underground?) covered in rotting guts and his own blood. Any of the foes he had faced would have been nothing more than a bother on a normal day, but the numbers had decidedly not been in his favor.

The shirt came off, or what was left of it did, anyway. Geralt was distantly aware of Barnabas-Basil making worried noises somewhere nearby, but all he could think of was a hot bath and a solid thirty-hour knockout. He pushed past his majordomo into the bathing chamber.

Some of the servants had been boiling water for the laundry, and Geralt simply poured the steaming water into a wooden tub. He had enough of sense to add some cold water and scrub off the worst and most smelly bits of innards clinging to his skin and hair before sinking into the tub and promptly passing out.

The next thing he knew, there was a low voice talking to him. Then cool fingers touched him and he smelled herbs. The instincts that had been alarmed calmed instantly.

Regis hauled him out of the tepid water and made him sit on a bench as he toweled him dry. The vampire was gentle and clearly mindful of the bruises and other assorted injuries. Geralt tried to smile and then hummed something nonsensical as Regis helped him all the way into his bed.

”Geralt, please let me stitch that wound. It looks painful,” Regis said as he lowered him on to the mattress. He looked worried.

Geralt nodded. He was tired and hurting and he didn't really care about anything besides getting on with the healing business already. Regis watched him closely and pursed his lips.

”You're in pain.”

Geralt nodded again. He didn't mind Regis knowing that. The vampire knew almost everything there was to know about him, anyway.

He must have passed out again, because he was suddenly aware of cool hands cradling his head. Regis had Geralt leaning against him. The vampire gave his stubbly cheek a reassuring stroke.

”This will help. Drink it, please.”

The liquid tasted kind of sweet, Geralt thought as he drank it. Regis kept stroking his hair as he did, and Geralt made a satisfied sound. The touch grounded him and pulled him towards consciousness. Regis didn't move away when he finished, and Geralt relaxed against him.

How many times had they done this already?

Geralt went and got himself injured on some contract or another. He stumbled home and his staff alerted Regis, who came to see him instantly, and then stayed until he got better.

Geralt swallowed thickly, once again wondering how he could ask Regis to just _stay_ , and not go away between these occasions.

After getting Regis back Geralt had known he would do anything to never lose his friend again. He had known what the feeling meant, but until the business with the duchess and Dettlaff had been settled, he had been unable to acknowledge it.

And then Regis had gone away to track Dettlaff, and he had stayed gone for months, and Geralt had been unable to sleep because he had been missing him so much it hurt like hell. He had lied awake night after night, looking through the window, and he had _known_. He had known he had let himself fall in love with Regis again. Or maybe it had really happened before Stygga, and he had just never let the feeling go. Not that it mattered.

Geralt had been grey with exhaustion when one day there had been a knock on his study door and Regis had returned.

The vampire had taken one look at him and rushed to hold him, murmuring reassuring sentences and guiding him into his bed. Geralt had fallen asleep with Regis sitting by and holding his hand. He'd slept for two days straight and when he had finally opened his eyes, he had seen Regis sleeping next to him. The vampire had looked peaceful and his hand had been resting against Geralt's heart.

After that Regis had settled back into the graveyard. He had become a regular guest in Geralt's household. He always came to see Geralt when he got hurt, and it should have been enough.

Regis gave a satisfied hum when he saw the painkiller kicked in. Geralt felt the edges of the world dull, and his mind felt both clear and unbothered. Even the antiseptic's sting didn't matter, or when Regis started to stitch the wound on his chest. He watched Regis work, the minute shifts in his face as he concentrated. He looked rested and calm and his fingers worked cleverly.

Geralt felt his chest tighten. His heart was beating steadily, but at the same time he felt like it was trying to tug its way free. The potion made him feel loose and sad at the same time.

Regis' eyes were black and gentle as he finished his work. He sighed.

”Really, Geralt. I'm starting to worry about you.”

Geralt made a movement that might've been a shrug.

”A gravehag. Then about thirty scurvers and some alghouls...” he begun, and Regis gave a laugh.

”Yes, your majordomo had received the news from Francollarts. Why didn't you call for help?” the vampire asked, leaning closer and bringing his hand to rest on Geralt's bare shoulder.

”Didn't know...” Geralt begun and then didn't know how to finish the sentence. He looked away and heard Regis sigh.

”I would have come right away.”

Geralt looked back at him. His brain felt funny; like he had forgotten about something important and didn't care about that right now.

”Will you stay?” he asked instead.

Regis smiled. He didn't answer for a while while he considered Geralt. Suddenly he shrugged off his tunic. Geralt blinked as he felt the mattress dip and then there were strong arms coming to hold him, and _oh_.

Regis tugged him against his chest and made a satisfied sound.

”I don't know whether I'm taking advantage of your lowered inhibitions right now,” the vampire said in a low voice. ”But I like having you here, where I know you're safe.”

Geralt swallowed. He was feeling very safe.

Without pausing to think about the action, he grasped Regis' hand and brought it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to his palm and felt Regis stiffen before all tension just bled out of him.

”I didn't know how to ask. For help. Or for this,” Geralt said, trying not to sound like he had just landed himself exactly where he had hoped to be, and missing by several untis of measure.

Regis drew in a soft breath. Then he pressed a hesitant kiss on the back of Geralt's neck. The feeling of his lips was like coming home after spending a long time wandering.

***

Geralt must have fallen asleep, because when he next opened his eyes he could see sunlight peeking through the drawn curtains. His head was tucked securely against a solid shoulder and there were soothing fingers carding through his hair.

”Good morning,” Regis whispered. Geralt hummed in answer. He didn't want to move. When he finally pulled back enough to look Regis in the eye, he was met with a curious stare. There was a hint of uncertainty in the black eyes, but the fingers in his hair never stopped moving in lazy circles.

”You slept peacefully,” Regis said and smiled. Geralt felt his own lips tug upwards.

”Must have something to do with you dosing me with painkillers and then petting me,” he answered playfully. Regis looked conflicted.

”I said I'm sorry if I took advantage-” he begun but Geralt shook his head.

”No, it's alright,” he said. ”More than alright,” he added as an afterthought. Regis looked uncertain.

”I don't mind being here, but I don't want to overtax your hospitality,” he said quietly, and was he really thinking Geralt would grow tired of his company? Or having him so close Geralt could feel his crawling heartbeat against his fingertips? Geralt felt vaguely ill at the thought of going to bed alone this evening, and the one after that.

”You don't mind?” he asked, trying to find the right words so that he wouldn't have to. Regis gave him a small smile and looked away.

”No. Quite the contrary,” he answered quietly, scratching Geralt's scalp. His touch was unwavering despite the hesitation in his voice.

”Will you stay?” Geralt asked, repeating his earlier question but with a comletely different tone of voice. Regis must have heard it too, because his eyes widened as he looked back at Geralt.

”What do you mean?” he asked. Geralt shrugged and brought his hand to caress the cool skin of Regis' cheek. His own heart was beating much too fast for him to be doing nothing else but laying in bed, about to wreck his life yet again.

”Whatever you like it to. I- I miss you when you go away,” he answered, trying to not let his nerves show. Regis didn't need to know that Geralt felt like his chest was being clawed open whenever he said his good-natured goodbyes and vanished into mist.

Regis' lips were turning upwards very slowly. His eyes were crinkled at the corners by the expression, and Geralt felt his self-restraint give.

He pressed a kiss to Regis' lips, just a short brush. When he pulled back his ears were ringing. When had he last felt this uncertain?

Regis exhaled slowly and seemed to make up his mind. Then he pulled Geralt back against him, and suddenly he was being kissed much more enthusiastically. Geralt felt the terror seep out of him as he kissed back, letting Regis cool tongue make his lips tingle.

Regis pulled back and smiled so wide his fangs showed.

”Of course I will stay.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Look, mum! I wrote something that's less than 15 pages long!


End file.
